First, let me say that, for once, I tend to dismiss a celebrity out of hand. I had read her statement and actually sat there with my mouth hanging open until a friend asked me what is wrong and I made them read the single most retarded statement I have read all year.
It seems to me that the author, which until a few years ago have respected, seems to be dropping deeper and deeper into a cocoon of insanity. While the response to the disaster of Katrina may have some people scratching their heads, or lack of response in some regardes, I don't think that Anne Rice needs to target the greater body of America.
Is she still feeling slighted by a once loyal fan base that regarded her last and apparently final novel, Dark Canticle, as a piece of contribed crap to sell more novels? Many of you might have remembered this from last year when hundreds of people that had purchased said book lined up on Amazon.com to lambast the latest and (according to Rice herself) last installment of her ever-popular Vampire Chronicles, and gave it a terrible review. Terrible is probably a understatement, as many of the reviewers had made some hard to swallow critics of the novel.
When deciding that she was going to give up writing for the 'horrible' people, she had made it clear that it was a act of betrayal. While it doesn't surprise me that her reaction would end her own wirting career, it seemed a little over the top. I'm sorry, but if you write something horrible, you are to take responsibility for it. I have written many horrible things, and if I had some of those published, I would certainly not fight with what my fans would have said. To call her fans, especially the ones that wrote a review on the Amazon page ungrateful, well, that is a little much for my tastes.
Now, a year later, she has a chance to speak on the horrors of Katrina. Yes, it is her city that was targetted by mother nature. From the facts, as I understand them, there was neglegence on the part of city officals and government as far as aid.
BUT......
To go as far as to blame the whole of the American people? FFS, as we are wont to say around my house, where does she get off? I am sorry, but I am really not. What is the deal with celebrities thinking that they can burst out and attack people and we will turn around and say " Wow, you know what? That is wrong." To think that the relief efforts are being stymied by the whole of America is just stupid. There are millions of people that are helping out in the ways that they can, from donations to offering their homes ot survivors...what more is to be expected? That we magically dig New Orleans out of the water and make a new Venice? I am confused on what the rest of the world had done to deserve such scorn.
OR....
Is it a way for Miss Rice to speak out vermently to a country that she feels betrayed her? Her bold statement about her writing career and ungrateful fans, after all, can't address us all. We all say things when wounded, assuridly. Before the tradegy of her book, she had lost her husband, Stan Rice, not long before that. Locked away in her mansion with nothing to do, allowing the anger of everything that was happening to build up. Miss Rice is an emotional person, you can tell from her writing. But her statement is ridiculous and should never have been uttered.
Either way, it is always better to say nothing if you have nothing good to say, which I think we all know. Lashing out seemingly fits Miss Rice much better than that, and all I can say is that I hope she realizes what she said and makes some kind of retraction. And, if Miss Rice somehow ends up reading this, I want her to know that she can't blame the rest of the world for her own failings. I mean, the last book really was crap.